


The Pictures

by andromedacrawley



Series: Filling in the Gaps [2]
Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Fluff, Headcanon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:53:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24902641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andromedacrawley/pseuds/andromedacrawley
Summary: “I wish they'd see sense," she whispered, not out of necessity but more because her mind had traveled back to stone arch in York, where a nervous chauffeur and a startled girl were standing in front of one another, uncertain of what to say, "and just stop fighting how they feel. I know I was happier once I did."Sybil sneaks out to go on a date with Tom to the pictures.
Relationships: Mary Crawley/Matthew Crawley (mentioned), Matthew Crawley/Lavinia Swire (mentioned), Tom Branson/Sybil Crawley
Series: Filling in the Gaps [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1812127
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	The Pictures

Sybil waited by the window, watching intently until the car pulled back into the driveway, the headlight reflecting against her window. Smiling widely, she all but ran to the door, only slowing down when she entered the hallway. She had to make her footsteps light... if anyone heard her...

But Mary was walking down the hall as she turned a corner. Sybil stopped walking as her sister shook her head. "Shouldn't you be asleep? You went to your room hours ago," she said disapprovingly, hands playing with the beads of her necklace.

Sybil sighed. "Please don't tell anyone."

"You already know I won't," Mary said, a flash of hurt in her brown eyes. "I've kept it secret for months now."

Sybil almost felt guilty... even though what Mary was saying wasn't technically true. She _had_ informed Edith, after all, and Anna, too, but Sybil supposed she didn't blame her. In a way, she was grateful her sisters had stopped her from eloping with Tom. Mama and Papa and the rest of the family didn't deserve deceit and Sybil didn't want to have to hide away. If she married Tom in secret, it insinuated she was ashamed; Sybil wanted to tell them the truth, to let them know she was proud, and even invite them to the wedding.

"Is anyone else downstairs yet?" asked Sybil.

"Just Papa," said Mary. Her eyes narrowed. "Why?"

Sybil's hands twisted. "Tom wants to take me to the cinema," she admitted, glancing down at the carpet.

"The _pictures_ , you mean," Mary said, doing what Sybil presumed was meant to be an impersonation of Tom's accent but failing miserably. Sybil might have been more annoyed by it if she hadn't heard him mimic Mary— and his impression was far more accurate and absolutely devastating.

"It's a late showing for the local servants, but nobody from Downton will be there," she said, ignoring Mary apart from a roll of her eyes. "He promised he would take me if he could get back in time..."

Mary sighed. "I'll go down and make sure Papa is distracted," she said, resigned. "But please promise me you'll behave yourself."

Sybil huffed. She loved Mary dearly but sometimes her sister still saw her as a baby. "I'm not stupid."

"I never said you were," Mary said, a little more sharply than Sybil had expected, "I just know that sometimes it's hard to restrain oneself."

Sybil could hardly imagine Mary being " _unrestrained_ " around Sir Richard, which lead her to believe her sister's firsthand experience came from Matthew. She was somewhat surprised that Mary of all people would be the one to say something like this, but perhaps her sister was less traditional than she seemed. "I promise."

Mary smiled, some of the warmth returning to her eyes. "Good." She kissed Sybil on the cheek before saying, "Have fun."

Sybil practically skipped down the steps, Mary trailing after her. Sybil ran to the door as Mary walked to the library. When she was confident her sister had ducked in, she ran out the door.

There was an amber glow coming from the garage as Sybil walked towards it. She saw Tom's silhouette casually leaned against the Renault, her heart pounding just like it did every time she caught a glimpse of him. When he noticed her approaching figure in the dark, he straightened up.

Sybil all but threw herself at him, arms wrapping around his neck as she kissed him passionately. "I've missed you," she whispered against his lips before kissing him yet again.

"I missed you, too." Neither of them bothered to remind the other they had seen each other earlier when Sybil had rode with her mother and sisters to Granny's. It wasn't really the same thing as being alone together... and it was exhausting, keeping their feelings boxed in. It seemed so strange, to think of a time when such distance had been natural.

Over the past couple of months since their attempt at an elopement, they had to come up with creative ways of spending time with one another. Sybil still made nightly sojourns to the garage after dinner but she also had created numerous reasons to " _go into Ripon_ "— though they usually never made it as far as Ripon. Tom would pull the car over on the side of the road somewhere and they would embrace one another until they'd had their fill before sharing their thoughts with one another. At first, Edith and Mary had caught on quickly and made excuses to come along, before quickly realizing their sister's mood would turn sour if she wasn't granted time alone with Tom. Furthermore, both of her sisters seemed to realize she wouldn't be deterred; Sybil was never going to give him up. It wasn't a phase or some passing fancy— she was hopelessly, madly, deeply in love with him and a life without him wasn't a life worth living in her books.

Anna was invaluable as well. They used her as a way to pass notes to one another, usually little things like _I have never loved anyone as much as I love you_ or _I miss you_ or _You looked like an absolute vision in that blue dress— it makes me so pleased to know you are mine_ or _I cannot wait until we are finally married._ Sybil felt sorry for using the housemaid like a carrier pigeon but at the same time she treasured every note written in Tom's spindly scrawl. She kept them in her drawer, tucked away under the political pamphlets he had given her so long ago— which were, in her mind, anyway, a form of a love letter in their own right.

When they finally parted, lips swollen, Tom's thumb traced over her cheek. "I got a reply. From my Mam."

"Your mother?" Sybil pulled away slightly. Tom had mentioned something last week about telling his mother about the intentions to be married. "What did she say?"

Tom hesitated. Sybil was quite concerned when he let out a loud sigh. "She thinks we don't know what we're doing. That we'll come to regret it."

Sybil couldn't help but feel hurt. "Well, that's disappointing." She knew her sisters had thought she was making a mistake that night of the attempted elopement but even they had come around.

"She'll come around," Tom assured her, reaching out to take her hands in his. "She will." Sybil wasn't certain if he was trying to convince himself or her. "It's just— She doesn't know what it's like with us. That's all."

Sybil bit back a sigh. So few people did. She knew plenty of people thought she was too young and too naïve to understand the way the world worked but she knew that life beyond Downton wasn't going to be easy. Money wouldn't come as freely, people might disapprove of her background, and there wouldn't be servant's around to take care of household tasks... and as hard as it was for her sisters and even Anna to believe, she didn't mind. No longer would she have to worry about being ordered to marry the man she was seated next to at dinners, nor would she need to be concerned about ending up in a loveless marriage. Sybil would have a greater purpose in life than being someone's wife and mother... though she was looking forward to both, now that she had met the right man.

A sudden thought occurred to her. "Would it help? If I could write to her?" Tom gave her a dubious look. "I'd like a chance to introduce myself. If I could tell her in my own words how much you mean to be, perhaps she might be more agreeable."

Tom considered her words. "Mam's awfully stubborn... but I don't see how it could hurt." He then smiled. "Actually, it's quite a good idea."

Somehow, their lips found one another again. Sybil's hands tangled in his hair as Tom held her by the waist. She loved him so much it hurt sometimes... she couldn't wait to marry him, to be free of this life and the secrecy that came with it...

"As much as I'd love to keep doing this," Tom said, rather breathlessly, "we had better leave now if we want to see the film."

"Oh!" She had almost forgotten— Sybil let out a laugh, telling him as much before they walked hand in hand away from the garage down the shadowy path to the road.

It was a long walk, but Sybil didn't mind— it gave them plenty of time to talk. She told him about the plans for Matthew and Lavinia's wedding— about the flowers she had selected, which friends were coming to the wedding, that sort of thing. It made Sybil think of her own wedding, not that it would have any of the same sort of fanfare. Unlike her sisters, however, Sybil had never dreamed of a big, grand wedding; her thoughts had mainly been concerned with finding the right husband... and she had, she was glad to say.

"I feel sorry for Mary," she told him, eyes falling to their linked hands.

"Why?" There wasn't any trace of mocking, merely curiosity. Sybil knew Tom wasn't exactly fond of her sister— he didn't hate her, by any means, but Mary had a tendency to come across as rather snobbish and Tom had unfortunately felt the brunt of frustration from time to time. Oddly enough, since learning about their engagement, Sybil has noticed a willingness on both sides to be more civil... even if they sometimes resorted to making jokes about one another.

"She still loves him. Matthew, that is," she clarified somewhat needlessly. "I know she does. And I can tell it's breaking her heart to watch him marry someone else." Sybil thought of her words in the hallway, about it being hard to restrain oneself, and she wondered how they could have fallen apart when they clearly loved each other so much. Even if they were both too stubborn to admit it, Sybil knew that Mary and Matthew were still as in love with one another today as they had been all those years before.

"Do you think she ever told him?"

Sybil shook her head. "I don't think so. I think she would have told me if she had." Mary wasn't always forthcoming about her love life but Sybil doubted that even Mary would be able to contain it to herself if she had.

Tom studied her carefully. "And what about Mr. Crawley? Why do you think he's marrying Miss Swire, if he still loves your sister?"

Sybil had to stop herself from sighing. She had tried encouraging him to call her family members by their first names, but he was too concerned he would slip up and call her father _Robert_ or something so she tried not to be too hard on him. "Knowing Matthew, it's probably something to do with his honor and morals. He's very noble."

His lips twitched. "I figured that out, after he came to your rescue at the count."

"But I thought you were the one who carried me to safety," teased Sybil.

"Perhaps," said Tom. "But it does seem silly to me— for him to marry a woman he doesn't love and make himself and Lad— _Mary_ —" he corrected himself, preemptively catching himself before Sybil could insist, "miserable in the process."

"I don't think he doesn't love Lavinia," said Sybil, feeling the need to defend her cousin and his fiancée. She was a sweet girl and obviously cared for Matthew a great deal... Sybil didn't want any harm to come to her, nor for her heart to be broken, but she felt that if things were to continue in this vein, they would only be leading to some catastrophe. "In fact, I think he does... but not as much as he loves Mary."

Tom shook his heads. "I'm probably not one to talk, since I don't understand, but I think it's much easier to just come out and say it... even if it's uncomfortable for a while, it's worth it."

Sybil smiled, looking up at him. Even though it was dark, she could see the grin on his face. She still couldn't believe that he had actually confessed his love to her all those years ago, knowing he could have lost his job. "I wish they'd see sense," she whispered, not out of necessity but more because her mind had traveled back to stone arch in York, where a nervous chauffeur and a startled girl were standing in front of one another, uncertain of what to say, "and just stop fighting how they feel. I know I was happier once I did."

Tom looked down at her, eyes full of love. "Oh, my darlin'," he said back, voice soft. He lifted up their hands before kissing the back of hers, earning a giggle from her.

The film had already begun by the time they arrived, but since Tom had already purchased their tickets in advance, they were able to move through the darkened theater. There were two empty spots near the back which they took.

It was a romance, Sybil learned quickly, starring some silvertoned American actors that she wasn't familiar with. She tried to pay attention, she really did, but Tom distracted her without meaning to. Shortly after they had settled down, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He seemed strangely unaffected by it, but Sybil's mind was running a million miles an hour. She could feel each of his fingers, his thumb rubbing her shoulder absentmindedly. It was enough to drive her mad.

Then, with some trepidation, she decided to make a move of her own. Hesitantly, she leaned in closer, so that she was leaning her head by his shoulder. She kept her eyes on the screen and it took all of her determination not to look at him.

"How did you like it?" Sybil asked once they left, a couple minutes before it was set to end. Even though none of the servants from Downton were supposed to be there, they thought it best to leave before the lights came on just in case someone recognized Sybil.

"To be honest, I couldn't really follow it," admitted Tom. "All I could think about was you."

Sybil beamed. "What a coincidence," she said, meeting his eye. "I was rather distracted myself." She held his hand tightly in her own. "I suppose now we have an excuse to go see it again."

Tom laughed loud in the night.


End file.
